We mock them when theyre ensnared by Chris Hanson on To Catch a Predator. We watch Bill OReilly and Nancy Grace scream with outrage when theyre let out of jail and we howl with (understandable) anger about pedophile priests. In a culture in which just about any crime, short of murder, can be forgiven if enough time passes, child molestation appears to be one of the few crimes that most people just plain cant let slide.

So why is R. Kelly still a huge star? And why do so many in America clamor for the return of Roman Polanski?

Two events in recent weeks  HBOs airing of a documentary about Oscar-winning filmmaker Roman Polanski and the acquittal of R&B superstar R. Kelly on child pornography charges  have gotten me thinking about something I first noticed a few years ago. A double standard, or rather two of them.

Yep, perverts like R. Kelly and Michael Jackson get the pass even if caught on tape. Creeps who solicit an undercover agent on the Internet are tread more harshly than celebs with actually commit the acts. This kind of double standard damages the judicial system.

I think a good deal of it has to do with puberty. If you’re attracted to prepubescent kids, pretty much everyone agrees that you’re a sick pervert and probably should be locked away. If on the other hand you are attracted to teenage girls, well, people understand that. They don’t condone it or like it, but I doubt there many men who haven’t found themselves looking at what they thought was an attractive adult woman only to find out that she was underage. Now the vast majority of us can control our sexual impulses at least well enough to avoid coming on to 15 year olds, but we can understand where those impulses come from.

Regardless of whether the attraction is understandable or not, in the Polanski case, the evidence points to what he did as being against the will of the victim, meaning that it was not only statutory rape but the conventional sort of rape, as well. Should that get a pass, too?

Polanski made sure the girl was loaded up with "ludes" before raping her too. If the pervert ever steps foot on U.S. territory he should be jailed immediately, he has already been tried, convicted and sentenced.

What about him? You mean his dancing with this 14 year old (who was in an over-18 club)? I think what he was doing was pretty disgusting but she wasn't 'no little girl'. http://youtube.com/watch?v=y-Zi8qB8rRA http://youtube.com/watch?v=BU8JuWMgky4&feature=related

15
posted on 06/23/2008 9:21:21 AM PDT
by ktscarlett66
(Face it girls....I'm older and I have more insurance....)

No, the first is her dancing before the incident happened. She’s onstage with a few other girls but it’s mostly focused on her. Definite ‘erotic’ moves she was doing in front of the crowd, all by herself. The second was a slide show of pics she’s taken of herself (or had taken). On her back on a sidewalk with denim miniskirt hiked up, some appearing topless (although not actually showing anything), posed on a motorcycle with denim mini, etc. Very seductive pics. Probably pics someone put together from her myspace.

That graphic is GROSS, lol!!!

26
posted on 06/23/2008 9:43:47 AM PDT
by ktscarlett66
(Face it girls....I'm older and I have more insurance....)

It’s a different story when the parents approve. It’s not an automatic charge if the father is over 18 - especially if the relationship was “approved” by a parent. That’s how I understand it at least...

As for these other guys - I’m not familiar with the stories/cases, so I’ll withhold opinion.

However, if it’s true about the one with the 14-year-old in an 18 and over club - it’s definitely the club’s fault for accepting her obviously fake ID (if they even bothered that is...). Just FYI - my sister did NOT look her age when she was 14 - she looked more like 18/19 at the time. When she came from out of state to attend my wedding, I had to inform all my husband’s friends at the wedding to leave her alone, because she was underage. They couldn’t tell... She also looked older than I did when I was 22 and she was 16. I doubt she would get carded anywhere back then (early 90s). I on the other hand got carded till I was at least 28 (can’t remember the first time I bought alcohol without being carded - doesn’t happen anymore though due to the crackdowns). And, with my sister, unfortunately it’s not like she acted her age - she LOVED it when guys thought she was “old enough”... So, I can understand when a guy might get caught with a girl who lies about her age... The specifics of the story would have to be looked at though.

An aside - in the case of true rape - there is no excuse for that... No means no, and if you’re drugging someone I think you should be tried for whatever other crime would go along with that besides the rape charges...

As I said, I’m not familiar with the specifics in these cases. However, I think people here would be very surprised if they found out how many predators are on our streets, and how many get slaps on the wrist or found “not guilty” for a variety of reasons... A good lawyer, when the monsters can afford one, goes a LONG way - especially in family courts...

That’s how I understand it at least... Not that I would EVER allow my daughters to date someone that much older than them (15-18). I will say though that I met my husband when I was 17 (2 months before my 18th birthday). We went to my senior prom together and we’ve been together ever since (married for almost 16 years now...).

There is also “Age of Consent” that you are dealing with in most states. Difference in age, and probably a difference if they were both “underage” when they started dating...

The one thing that is sticking in my head right now though - Jamie and her boyfriend are doing the “right thing” - staying together to be parents to their child. I don’t know if throwing the kid’s father in jail would be the best way to handle the situation, would it?

Also, what happens when a child is in high school - meets a boy who is 17, and she is say 15 (she a sophomore and he a senior). They date for two years, and she is 17 and he is then 19 - if the girl got pregnant, would the guy then be guilty of statutory rape? I guess it would depend on the state, but I don’t think unless there is a large age gap that many “statutory rape” cases get tried... Especially if the father is owning up to his responsibilities...

I’m not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to know the exact laws in all 50 states, but these are just things I wanted to throw out there...

I did a quick google search for Statutory rape laws. The following link contains laws for all 50 states. It seems that in most states the age of consent is 16. Also, many of the laws do talk about age gaps - like if one is 4 years older, and harsher laws depending on the age of the person who was raped as well...

Now that I have a few years on me... I'm sort of shocked that in high school, there wasn't more class discussion about THE LAW and consequences of statutory rape.

But then I went to school "back in the day" in flyover country. And I suspect a fair number of cases of potential statutory rape were averted because... some guys actually went to church as boys and had the brake of some "higher law". Or just had common sense to steer clear of underage girls after they moved on from high school.

Still, I'm shocked this was not a topic of discussion in the few hours our schools spent of items like drunk driving and a bit of sex-ed.

That’s a good point... I was in high school in the late 80s, and I don’t remember them talking about it in health class either. Everyone kind of knew what it was - an older guy with a girl under 18 - we all knew what “jail bait” meant. However, the specifics of the law was never really discussed...

I homeschool my kids, so I’m not sure if it’s covered nowadays or not...

No problem. :) Glad to help... And, now I know what they are in my state (good to know when you have teenage daughters! LOL). Thankfully, my oldest is more interested in her art right now - met one boy that asked her out, but she turned him down - said he gave her the creeps! LOL

That was more than dancing. He simulated sex with her on stage. Since I have heard some of his music, I looked up pictures of it, and it was more than just dancing. She was wrong for being in the club, dressed the way she was, acting like a slut, but he was wrong for using her or any woman as a sex object on the stage.

I was talking about what she was doing before he even got near her. *That* tape.

I’ve seen what they did too, and while it’s crude, that is what the girls hope for when they’re up there dancing. They want him (or whatever performer) to single them out in front of everyone. She knew exactly what might happen when she first started dancing. And she got what she wanted. They know how a lot of these performers are. She didn’t push him away, she laughed and went along with it.

43
posted on 06/24/2008 5:05:16 AM PDT
by ktscarlett66
(Face it girls....I'm older and I have more insurance....)

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.